Apple Macintosh PowerBook 550c vs Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

Macintosh PowerBook 550c compared with PowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)

	AppleMacintosh PowerBook 550c	ApplePowerBook G4 (17-inch, Double-Layer SD)
Overview
Released
Released	1995	October 2005
Display
Screen size
Screen size	10.4″	17″
Resolution
Resolution	640 × 480	1680 × 1050 (better)
Touchscreen
Touchscreen	No	No
Display type
Display type	Backlit active-matrix colour LCD; 256 colours at 640 × 480 or 32768 colours at 640 × 400 according to Apple Japan	17-inch TFT widescreen; panel technology, absolute brightness and refresh rate unpublished on maker sheet
Display features
Display features	–	Millions of colours at native resolution; maker UK launch claims up to 46% brighter than preceding 17-inch model
Performance
Processor
Processor	Motorola 68040 66 MHz (PowerBook 550c)	PowerPC G4 1.67 GHz (PowerBook 17-inch Late 2005)
CPU cores
CPU cores	1	1
Graphics
Graphics	–	ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 (128 MB DDR)
Memory
Memory	12 MB	512 MB, 1 GB or 2 GB (better)
Storage
Storage	750 MB	100 GB to 120 GB (better)
CPU
CPU	Motorola 68040 with MMU and floating-point unit; Apple specifies 66 MHz internal processor clock and 33 MHz bus interface. The English support table incorrectly says no FPU, conflicting with the exact Japanese sheet and original Apple technical article	1.67 GHz PowerPC G4 with Velocity Engine, 512 KB on-chip L2 SRAM and 167 MHz system bus; exact silicon supplier/process omitted
GPU
GPU	Service Source specifies 512 KB video memory; built-in video output supports 256 colours	ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with AGP 4× support, 128 MB DDR video memory and dual-link DVI
Memory type
Memory type	4 MB on the logic board plus an 8 MB expansion card in the standard 12 MB configuration; expandable to 36 MB using one 70 ns or faster low-power self-refreshing card	512 MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM running at 333 MHz standard in one SO-DIMM; two slots, maximum 2 GB, with 512 MB and 1 GB module options
Storage type
Storage type	Internal 750 MB SCSI hard drive and 1.4 MB Apple SuperDrive; full KanjiTalk CD-ROM installation needs an external CD-ROM drive	120 GB 5400 rpm Ultra ATA/100 standard or 100 GB 7200 rpm build-to-order, with Sudden Motion Sensor. Slot-loading 8× DVD±R SuperDrive supports 2.4× double-layer DVD+R, 4× DVD±RW, 24× CD-R and 16× CD-RW; optional DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive
Battery and size
Battery life (maker's claim)
Battery life (maker's claim)	Up to 3 hours	Up to 5.5 hours
Battery capacity
Battery capacity	–	58 Wh
Weight
Weight	3.1 kg	3.1 kg
Thickness
Thickness	57 mm	26 mm (better)
Width × depth
Width × depth	292 × 245 mm	392 × 259 mm
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Two removable nickel-metal hydride intelligent batteries; Apple Japan claims three hours per battery, while the original technical article and service manual say up to 3.5 hours. Recharge takes two hours asleep or off, four hours running. Headline runtime is per battery rather than an inferred combined claim. Published 3.1 kg includes two batteries; Service Source instead lists 3.3 kg	58 Wh lithium-ion with charge indicator LEDs; maker up to 5.5 hours depends on configuration and use. Maker reference 3.1 kg includes battery and optical drive and varies by configuration/manufacturing. Metric dimensions are maker centimetres expressed in millimetres
Charger
Charger	40 W power adapter according to Apple Service Source	65 W power adapter with cable management system
Materials
Materials	Dark-grey enclosure according to the original Apple technical article	Aluminium enclosure
Connections
Ports
Ports	–	2 × USB-A, Ethernet, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi	–	AirPort Extreme 802.11g/b
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	–	2.0 + EDR
Operating system
Operating system	macOS	macOS
Port detail
Port detail	ADB, RS-422 serial/LocalTalk, AAUI Ethernet, HDI-30 SCSI, stereo audio input/output and external video. A 90-pin processor-direct slot accepts the optional PCMCIA module for two Type II or one Type III card; Service Source places it in the second battery bay	Two USB 2.0 ports at up to 480 Mbps, FireWire 800 and 400, Gigabit Ethernet, 56K V.92 modem, DVI, S-video and Type I/II PC Card slot; combined optical-digital/analogue input and output minijacks; Kensington lock slot
External displays
External displays	Mirroring or extended desktop using an optional video adapter; Japanese specifications list Macintosh, VGA and SVGA support. Service Source identifies a micro DV-14 connector, while the English support table labels it mini-15	Simultaneous native 1680 × 1050 internal and up to 2560 × 1600 external display with millions of colours; dual-link DVI, including 30-inch Cinema HD display; mirroring, VGA with included DVI adapter, composite with included S-video adapter
Keyboard
Keyboard	Japanese JIS keyboard with tilt adjustment and power-on key; original Apple technical article specifies 79 keys including twelve function keys, unlike Service Source's generic domestic/ISO counts	Full-size illuminated fibre-optic keyboard with ambient light sensor; 78 US or 79 ISO keys, 12 function keys, inverted-T arrows and embedded keypad
Trackpad
Trackpad	Built-in solid-state trackpad with adjustable acceleration	Solid-state trackpad with tap, double-tap, drag and scrolling support
Speakers
Speakers	Two built-in stereo speakers and 16-bit audio with 11.035, 22.050 or 44.100 kHz sampling	Two built-in stereo speakers
Microphones
Microphones	Built-in electret microphone; Japanese specifications call it directional while the original technical article and service manual say omnidirectional	Internal omnidirectional microphone
In the box
In the box	12 MB/750 MB PowerBook, two intelligent batteries, power adapter, KanjiTalk 7.5 CD-ROM and system disks, PowerBook Mobility Bundle, documentation and warranty. Apple records introduction on 30 May 1995, while contemporary TidBITS coverage expected late-June availability; the July maker technical article confirms a released Japan-only product without a first-sale day or month	Power adapter, AC wall plug, power cord, lithium-ion battery, modem cable, DVI-to-VGA and S-video-to-composite adapters; Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and iLife ’05 supplied. Apple UK confirms immediate availability on 19 October 2005